Formlabs Form1 3D Printer

Instead of employing the plastic extrusion technology found in most home 3D printers, the Form1 uses more precise stereolithography. A tray of liquid resin hardens when exposed to a laser, until the printed object is fully formed. The resulting prints are more detailed than most high-resolution plastic extrusion 3D printers.

The Form1 3D printer was developed by grad students at the MIT Media Lab, who were aiming to give consumers the professional quality of the larger rapid prototyping machines in MIT. The Form1 has a build volume of 4.9 x 4.9 x 6.5-inch, and initially retailed at $3,300.